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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707718">As Useful as a Concussed Squirrel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robin_Fai/pseuds/Robin_Fai'>Robin_Fai</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Fluff, Gen, M/M, Merlin is concussed, Minor Injuries, Pre-Slash, Worried Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:20:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robin_Fai/pseuds/Robin_Fai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin get captured while out on a hunt. It's a good thing Merlin has magic to get them out of their cell. Yet Merlin seems strangely disinterested in using his powers for once.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>245</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>As Useful as a Concussed Squirrel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*yeets content into new fandom and hides* Be gentle with me folks - just trying my hand at writing this pair to see how it goes.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hunt had been going well. Arthur had been enjoying the fresh air and the break from endless council meetings more than anything, but he'd also managed to bag a good amount of game, so all in all the day had seemed like a success - until the bandits struck.</p><p>Merlin had been tying his latest catch when the sudden, unnatural, stillness of the forest caught his attention. Arthur held up his hand to still his friend's continual steam of chatter. Merlin, to his credit, immediately fell silent. </p><p>Barely moments later the bandits burst out of the brush that grew thick in this part of the forest. Arthur sprung into action automatically, his moves more muscle memory than conscious strategy. Swing. Block. Stab. Turn. </p><p>Merlin was right behind him and for a while it seemed like they might win despite being vastly outnumbered and surrounded on all sides. If it had just been Arthur he had no doubt that he'd have been overwhelmed almost instantly, but the bandits were no match for a warlock. Merlin cast spell after spell, sending several men flying at one point when they came too close. Arthur gave silent thanks that his friend's talents were no longer a secret. </p><p>Between the two of them they defeated at least half their attackers. Then it all went wrong. Arthur could no longer hear Merlin casting behind him. He chanced a glance backwards and saw only bandits. Another quick look to the ground confirmed what he had feared: Merlin was down. Arthur tried to push back the wave of concern he felt for Merlin. He would be alright. They both would. They always were. He swung around and stood over Merlin's fallen form protectively. The odds were worse now, but everything was going to be fine. </p><p>Then the world went dark, and he fell. </p><p>
  <i>-----</i>
</p><p>The cell they were in was dark and damp. It was certainly no castle. The bars stretched from cold rock floor to dripping rock ceiling. They looked as though they were fixed directly into the stone. The lock on the door was old and rust bitten but absolutely solid. Arthur knew this because he'd thrown himself at the damn thing several times to see if it would give. It hadn't. And now his shoulder ached as much as his head. </p><p>Arthur wandered over to Merlin and once more nudged him to see if he would stir, but the sorcerer seemed in no hurry to awaken. Hesitantly he reached out to run a hand over Merlin's head. There was a fair bit of blood dried into his hair from where he'd been hit, and if it hadn't been for the steady rise and fall of his chest he might fear him dead. Except, of course, the bandits wouldn't have put a dead man in a cell. He had to believe he would be alright. </p><p>Gently, he ran his hand over the injury again. There was a raised area that indicated where he had been struck. The idiot. For all those powers he had he still couldn’t be counted on to notice people sneaking up behind him. Arthur tried to push back the concern he felt. Merlin looked so much more vulnerable like this. He hated it when he was still and silent. It was such an antithesis to how expressive and vocal he usually was. Absent-mindedly, his hand kept up the pattern of smoothing over Merlin’s hair. It really was quite soft where there was no blood in it. </p><p>"Are you stroking my hair?" </p><p>The mumbled words made Arthur jump back in surprise. Blue eyes were staring up at him from Merlin's pale face. Arthur took a deep breath to slow the wild beating of his heart. </p><p>"No! Of course not. Why on earth would you think that?!" Arthur realised he was sounding far too defensive and tried to tone it down. "I was just checking on your injury. Or did you want me to leave you to die in this cell?"</p><p>Merlin laughed and pulled himself to sitting up with a groan. "Checking my injury.  Of course. That explains it then."</p><p>Arthur went to argue back but then he caught sight of Merlin's expression - he was teasing him. <i>Ugh.</i> The man was insufferable sometimes.</p><p>"Look, stop being ridiculous and let's get out of here before anyone comes to kill us." Arthur really didn’t want to know what these bandits wanted from them.</p><p>Merlin looked around at the bars and the door to their cell. He still looked pretty dazed, his eyes unfocussed, but he must be alright if he was making jokes at Arthur’s expense.</p><p>“The lock looks pretty rusty. Do you think we can shift it?” Merlin said, his head tilted to one side.</p><p>“I already bruised my shoulder trying that. Why don’t you have a go?”</p><p>Merlin snorted. “Sure. I’ll just go pointlessly flinging myself at a door that even you can’t shift.”</p><p>“Merlin...” Arthur tried to convey the warning in his tone that he was close to losing his patience. They really needed to get out quickly.</p><p>“There aren’t any guards visible. I guess that rules out pulling some trick on one to get a hold of the keys.” Merlin chewed his lip thoughtfully. Arthur wished he wouldn’t do that. It really was quite distracting.</p><p>“Why would we need the keys?”</p><p>“To open the lock?” Merlin looked at him as if it were a stupid question. Arthur tried to repress another wave of irritable concern.</p><p>“Are you alright, Merlin?”</p><p>“Well, my head feels like someone whacked it with something <i>really</i> solid, and I’m stuck in here with you, but sure, I’m fine!” Merlin took a deep breath and looked directly at him before adding. “Sire.” </p><p>Merlin really was the single most insolent and disrespectful member of his court. Arthur wondered what had possessed him to keep him on so long. It wasn’t like he could blame it on fear of magic since Merlin had kept his secret for so long.</p><p>“Merlin.” Arthur’s voice was exasperated.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Don’t do that.”</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>How could he sound so innocent? This man would be the death of him.</p><p>“Enough playing about, Merlin. We need to get out of here before they come back. Hurry up and sort it.”</p><p>“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”</p><p>Merlin got to his feet, staggering slightly and wandered over to inspect the bars. Arthur stared at his friend in confusion.</p><p>“We can’t force the door. The bars go into solid rock. We could try scraping away at whatever is keeping them there but I think they would probably have rusted away before we got out. Never mind that we’d be long dead.” Merlin shook his head. “I guess we’ll just have to wait for them to come for us and fight our way out.”</p><p>Merlin wandered back over to the side of the cell and sat down, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. </p><p>“Are you being serious?!” Arthur marched over, crouched down beside him, and shook Merlin’s shoulder. “Now is <i>not</i> the time for a nap!”</p><p>“But I’m tired. Why can’t I sleep?” Merlin sounded like a petulant child.</p><p>“One, you have a head wound. You’re not supposed to sleep. Two, we need to get out of here. Three, you’re an idiot.” Arthur punctuated each point with a jab to Merlin’s shoulder.</p><p>“Ow!” Merlin shoved his hand away. Or he tried to at least. He seemed even weaker than usual. Arthur resisted the urge to reach up and check the injury again. “How is my being an idiot relevant to whether I can sleep or not?” </p><p>Trust Merlin to focus on entirely the wrong point.</p><p>“It isn’t. But it’s always a valid point where you are concerned, and even more so than usual right now. Come on. Do your thing and get us out.” Arthur wafted a hand suggestively at the bars. He didn’t know or care how the magic worked so long as it got them home safe.</p><p>“Arthur, there is no way through those bars!” Merlin was almost shouting now.</p><p>“There is if you say the right words!”</p><p>“What? You think if I say ‘please will you let us out dear loveliest of bandits’ they’ll just let us go free.”</p><p>Arthur sighed and looked to the ceiling, praying for patience.</p><p>“That is not what I meant and you know it.”</p><p>“Then what, Arthur?” Merlin frowned at him. “The only other way to get through those bars would be magic!”</p><p>Arthur let his face fall into his hands. Yes. Merlin would definitely be the death of him. They would find his bones here, his body long since faded away from the sheer exhaustion wrought by having to work with Merlin every day.</p><p>“Merlin.” He mumbled through his palms.</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten you have magic.” Arthur’s voice came out somewhat strangled. He couldn’t seriously believe...</p><p>“I…” Merlin began. Arthur looked up to find Merlin’s face completely blank. Then suddenly his eyes went wide. “OH!”</p><p>“You have, haven’t you?”</p><p>Merlin blushed the most vivid shade of red he had ever seen. It would actually be kind of cute if the situation hadn’t been so ridiculous.</p><p>“I’ll just…” Merlin hurried, somewhat haphazardly, across the cell to the door. He stretched his hand out, his eyes flashed gold, and the door was forced free of it’s fixings. </p><p>Merlin looked back as Arthur hurried to join him. The force of freeing the door had been quite loud so they would need to hurry in case there actually were any guards close by. </p><p>“Do you think you could, maybe, I don’t know- forget about-” Merlin began asking as they made their way along the corridor.</p><p>“Not a chance. I’ll be reminding you of this until your dying day.”</p><p>“You mean <i>your</i> dying day.” Merlin nudged him in the ribs as they backed against a wall to check around a corner.</p><p>“What <i>are</i> you talking about?”</p><p>“Well you’re obviously going to die before me.” Merlin said it with absolute conviction. Arthur hated it when he did that. </p><p>“Only if you carry on being as useful as a concussed squirrel.”</p><p>“Squirrel?! Yeah, well, you’re not much better, you…” Merlin trailed off, lost for words, or more precisely lost for insults.</p><p>“Clot pole?” Arthur offered.</p><p>“Thank you. Yes.” Merlin huffed.</p><p>“Come on Merlin. Let’s get you home so Gaius can take a look at that head of yours. Who knows, maybe he’ll even find that elusive brain of yours.” They were at a gate now. Soon they would be out in the woods again. Then they would have to run. Arthur placed a hand on Merlin’s shoulder as he was about to deal with the lock on the gate. “Oh, and Merlin?”</p><p>“What now?”</p><p>“Thank you for getting us out of there.” </p><p>Merlin gave him a wide smile, then ducked his head, blushing again.</p><p>“Thank you for reminding me I could do that.” </p><p>Arthur laughed. If they hadn’t been in the process of escaping a bandit’s hide out he would perhaps have hugged Merlin, just as a thank you between friends of course, but they hadn’t the time. Maybe later, when they got back to Camelot. Maybe.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've come to this fandom over a decade late but it was worth the wait. I've spent a week just consuming vast amounts of fics and damn there are some talented writers in this fandom. I've got a whole long dark fic planned, but we'll see how it goes with actually getting it written. For now, I hope someone enjoys this bit of fluff and that it isn't too OOC!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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